The Poker Game
by BrownEyedHoneybadger
Summary: Screw it. He was going to play poker with a bunch of weirdos and it was going to be awesome. One-shot. Featuring Ichigo, Naruto, Natsu, Luffy and Goku.


**The Poker Game**

"Where'd you say this place was?" Ichigo scratched the back of his head as he and Naruto walked down a familiar corridor. They'd been walking for a while now, but then again, in the inter-dimension that held together time and space …there was no real sense of time. Ichigo still felt like they'd been walking for an hour though.

"He said to keep walking 'till we found a white door with a big red 'x' on it," Naruto shrugged. "We can't miss it."

Ichigo looked skeptical. "Where'd you say you met this guy again?"

"Same place I met you. When I found myself there again, I was searching for you since that was where we met last time. Instead I found this pink-haired guy with a muffler. Said his name was Natsu …Drago or something," Naruto explained, remembering the incident. "He told me the whole deal about how people from different dimensions meet each other in this smaller dimension. Didn't sound like he really got it either, but we sat down and talked for a long time. He's actually a pretty cool dude. I told him about you and then he invited me to this poker game where all different people from different dimensions come together to play."

"I don't get it," Ichigo sighed, looking around. "What is the deal with this place?'

"Dunno."

They walked on for a little while. For a moment Ichigo considered trying to catch up with Naruto – the blonde looked like he got a little taller since they last met. How much time had passed in Naruto's world anyway? Ichigo only waited 3 months to find himself in this strange dimension again.

"There it is!" Naruto exclaimed, and pointed to a door that was at the end of the hallway – the end that Ichigo thought didn't exist. When they reached the door, they hesitated for a while.

"Do we knock?" Ichigo asked. Naruto shrugged and decided that would be the best course of action. He raised his fist and knocked three times. Barely a minute passed before the door was opened.

"Woah! Hey Naruto!" A spunky, kind-looking pink haired individual had opened the door. His midriff was open, showing off a very impressive display of muscle. Of course, neither Naruto nor Ichigo would openly admit that. The happy young boy turned to smile at Ichigo. "I'm Natsu, by the way. Welcome to the club!"

They exchanged a firm handshake, Ichigo offering a confident grin of his own. "Ichigo Kurosaki."

Natsu nodded, grinning. "Yep, sounds like the name of a hero. Come on in, guys. Game's about to start." He opened the door wider for the other two step in and then closed it once they were inside. They appeared to have entered a comfortably furnished lounge. Natsu then turned on his heels, the other two following him.

"What game are we talking about here?" Ichigo asked, staring at Natsu's back as he walked. He sensed a powerful presence from Natsu – he could probably take on someone like Naruto, was Ichigo's initial impression. Then again, Ichigo wasn't sure how strong Naruto was primarily. He could only make assumptions based on behavior and the power that he sensed.

Natsu threw an excited grin over his shoulder for Ichigo. "The poker game, of course!"

Ichigo and Naruto exchanged glances.

"You know how to play poker?" Ichigo asked the blonde who grinned to himself.

"I do, actually. Ero-sennen taught me when he first started training me. Said it was a good way for a Ninja to learn 'facial-deception'. He was just full of crap, now that I think about it. Poker taught me nothing except how to count my money," the blonde trailed off into thought. "How 'bout you?"

"I know how to play, but I'm not too fond of it. My dad liked it though."

"You guys got nothing to worry about," Natsu assured them, apparently having listened to their conversation. "We play just for fun. All we got is alcohol free beer and sports drinks too. Goku doesn't like us drinking with so many powerful guys in one room."

"Who's Goku?" Naruto asked. "He sounds strong!"

Natsu nodded, sharing the other's enthusiasm. "He's the most powerful fighter in the known universe! I challenged him and he defeated me …after like one second – stop laughing!"

Ichigo and Naruto's sniggers faded away.

"Sorry bro, but that's pretty funny. To be fair, you don't look weak. I can sense you're pretty strong," Ichigo offered and Natsu grinned. "By the way, cool tattoo. What is it?" He asked, referring to the unique symbol on the other's shoulder.

"It's my guild mark," Natsu announced, very proud. He flexed his arm. "I'm a wizard," he added, seeing the other two's confused expressions. "But not like Harry Potter!"

"Who the hell is Harry Potter?"

"Never mind." All three seemed to have stopped with their journey to have a discussion. "I mean, no wands or anything. I mean – oh forget it, let me just show you." He then lifted a hand and it burst into flames.

"Holy sh-!" Ichigo closed his hand over Naruto's mouth. They both stared in absolute awe at the flames emitting from Natsu's hand – he wasn't yelling and the flame did not seem to hurt him either. Natsu smiled at their reaction, pride etched on his young face.

"I use fire," he explained. "I use Dragon Slayer magic, which is pretty rare."

"You're a dragon slayer?" Naruto asked, after removing Ichigo's hand from his face. "Cool, so you slay dragons, like Ichigo reaps souls?"

Natsu frowned slightly, as if he was trying to recollect some lost memory. "Nah, it's not like it's my job or anything. Dragons haven't been around in my world for a while now." His eyes took on a serious shield, barely notable, but Ichigo and Naruto had no problem picking it up. Assuming it was a sensitive subject, they dropped the topic.

"Do you know how this world works?" Ichigo asked, trying to keep the conversation going. He adjusted Zangetsu out of habit, as if to assure himself that he had some sort of defense in a world he had no knowledge about.

All three paused in front of another door. Before opening it, Natsu turned to Ichigo and Naruto.

"Don't worry, guys. I'm sure Goku wouldn't mind explaining." And they entered.

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Right away, Ichigo decided he liked Goku. The man was, to any person with a pair of eyes, obscenely strong, and it was not just evident in the impressive build of his warrior-like physique. It was the intense aura he sent out that left Ichigo thinking that Zangetsu would snap like a toothpick against his power, even with bankai. Also, Goku held a type of compassion and humanity that was one of the rarest qualities to find. To Ichigo, he seemed to omit a nonstop buzz of energy and excitement, kindhearted in his words, encouraging in his smiles and brother-like in the way he recieved them.

Besides Goku, Ichigo and Naruto were introduced to Luffy, a self-proclaimed pirate who was apparently made of rubber. Ichigo had to sit down after digesting that particular sentence, but after speaking to Luffy for a few minutes, found him just as enjoyable as the others.

The room was comfortably spacious, coated in deep red velvet wallpaper that glowed under the small chandelier dangling from the ceiling. In the corner was a mini bar, accompanied by a fridge and a petite table stacked with dry dishes and finished meals. There were no windows, which left Ichigo sitting at the rounded table with a confused expression, though at this point he chose not ask or question anymore.

Screw it, he was going to play poker with a bunch of weirdos and it was going to be awesome.

They all settled around the table, a twinge of awkwardness staining everyone's smiles.

"All right boys, welcome to the game!" Goku said merrily from where he sat across the shinigami. Luffy was entertaining Natsu and Naruto with a rubbery display of shuffling the cards. Ichigo tried to avoid looking at it.

"Is there any particular reason why we're here?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms on the table. Ichigo could see he was eyeing Goku with a challenging look. "And what are you supposed to be? A martial artist?"

Goku's eyes lit up. "Hey, yeah! You could say that!"

"No way are you just some ordinary human," Ichigo commented dryly, eyes dancing over the cards Luffy was dealing. "None of us are."

Goku leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms and gazed innocently up at the ceiling with a thoughtful pull at his brows. "Nah, not in this world. This is the Champion Dimension."

Ichigo and Naruto caught each other's curious looks. "What?"

Goku sighed, as if the information was still processing through his head as well. "Look at it this way. Before anything else, there's the Universe." He said the last word as if he intended for it to send cold shivers down their spines. The effect was quite the opposite really.

"The universe?" Naruto asked, scratching his blonde head of hair.

"The _Universe_." Goku concluded dramatically.

"Uh, okay."

Goku continued. "And the universe is the centre of everything. It's like the main energy that gives life to all our worlds."

"I don't get it," Naruto admitted, eyes squinting at the other man.

"The universe is in the middle," Goku explained further, drawing imaginary lines on the table as all eyes were now on him. "Our worlds surround it, and its connection to the middle is what supplies it with energy. The universe is also what connects all our worlds together, seeing as it's in the middle and all."

"But our worlds don't make use of the same types of energies," Ichigo commented shrewdly, the scowl on his face deepening. "I can sense power from each of you, but it's different entirely."

Goku nodded, smiling. "Yeah, you're right! See, each of our world's have a gate, which connects us to the Universe in the middle. These gates also work as filters because it draws raw energy from the Universe, and molds it into the energy best suited for your world."

Naruto frowned, sending Ichigo a hopeless look. "My head hurts. I don't get any of this."

Ichigo was intrigued however, and turned his gaze back to the beaming face of Goku. "How many worlds are connected to the Universe?"

Goku shrugged and the heavy bulk of muscle on his shoulders and neck stiffened. "I don't know. Quite a few I reckon. There could be an infinite number of worlds for all we know."

"That's crazy," Natsu commented, picking up his cards and shuffling them in his hands. He grinned at his hand, but then quickly set into a funny serious expression.

"Let's play already!" Luffy smiled widely, displaying a big set of teeth. Grinning, he adjusted the straw hat on his head and set about adjusting his hand of cards. Naruto, Ichigo and Goku joined in and a few cheerful rounds of poker commenced. Later on, Goku whined that he was hungry, and the game was paused for a lunch break.

It was the most intense lunch of Ichigo's life. Everyone was eating like an animal, garbling down heaps of food and substance, sometimes without even chewing, and they were doing it at a maniac's pace. Especially Goku, who emptied the fridge before Ichigo was even halfway with his first plate. Following that ridiculous spectacle, they returned to their poker game, meaningless chips with worthless value stacked in the middle.

Everyone sucked. There was no definite winner or talented player among them, although Naruto was an exceptional bluffer in his own right, and Luffy even attempted dipping his head under the table and stretching his neck under everyone to try and catch a glimpse of their cards. He failed when Ichigo promptly kicked him from under the table, causing everyone to break out into hearty laughter as Luffy nursed his swollen mouth with a sheepish smile.

"I have a theory," Goku, started out of nowhere after winning one round. "That this particular world exists right below the Universe and works as some kind of …I don't know, backroom or something. And each of us-", he motioned to everyone at the table, "-is the designated champion of our respective worlds."

Natsu howled in excitement, tiny spits of ember spurting out between his teeth. "Hell yeah! I'm a champion! I'm the strongest!" He and Luffy high-fived.

Naruto frowned. "There are people in my world that are stronger than me though, I'll admit. What does it take to be a 'champion' then, if it's not being the strongest?" Ichigo took in Naruto's words, feeling the truth behind them in his heart. Of course, by now, it was obvious to Ichigo that Naruto was smarter than he let on.

Goku nodded seriously. "You're right. My world is full of strong fighters too, but when it comes to being a champion, you just don't pick the strongest bloke and hope everything will be okay. If it's something I've learned through the years, and also have tried to pass on to my sons, is that being a hero is more than just being powerful. It's about dedication and protecting the ones you love, no matter what. It's about believing in yourself and never giving up and …Natsu, wake up!"

Snort. "Huh? Oh. Sorry."

Naruto laughed, slapping Natsu on the back. The other grinned back.

Ichigo turned back to Goku, who was sighing to himself. "So, you have sons, huh?"

Goku's face then spread into a glowing beam. "Yep! Two, actually. Chips off the old block," he reminisced proudly, leaning back into his chair.

"So, you're married?" Luffy asked, smiling.

"Is she pretty?"

"Can she cook?"

Goku laughed loudly. "All of that and more! She's perfect! Here, I have a picture."

He reached his hand into his bizarre orange outfit, which Ichigo could tell Naruto admired, and pulled out a square picture to show to them. The boys leaned in over the table to get zoom in and get a closer look. Ichigo's eyes focused on what was Goku's wedding photo, and his bride stood beside him, smiling adoringly up at her husband.

"She's really beautiful, Goku," Naruto complimented, retaking his seat. The others nodded in agreement and Goku stowed the picture back in his shirt, eyes flicking over with too many emotions for Ichigo to follow. As if noticing his sudden detachment, Goku hastily jerked out of his reverie and looked at the others.

"How about you guys? You guys seemed too young to be married. Who's got a girlfriend?" Noticing the sudden shrinkage in the boys' personalities, he prodded further. "Come on! How about you Naruto? Got anybody special back home?" he asked the blonde teasingly. Naruto grinned awkwardly.

"Well, I have Sakura, but she's just my teammate. I used to like her, but that's kind of over now. There's this one girl who I'm thinking about going out with. When I was in the middle of this war, she stepped in to protect me and told me she loved me. She's really pretty too." Naruto finished, gushing out his words with a small look of embarrassment. "How about you, Natsu?" he asked hastily to avert the attention he was getting.

Natsu shrugged. "I don't have a girlfriend. Mostly just girls who are my friends. Although, I've seen Lucy naked a few times and we do sleep in the same bed occasionally."

Luffy's eyes widened, somewhat impressed. "You could just as well be dating, Natsu!" Natsu just shot him a mischievous grin and said nothing more.

"What about you, Luffy?" Naruto asked, taking the deck of cards from the other to play with.

Luffy's face was stuffed with food he had gathered during the conversation. He shrugged whilst chewing heavily.

"Ichigo? You got a girl?" Natsu asked, causing the other to frown in annoyance.

"No," Ichigo answered simply and resolutely, stubborn in the one syllable he produced. He crossed his arms, determined to not elaborate on the subject. Goku merely laughed at his attitude.

"Man, you guys are lucky, still being so young and all," said Goku, eyes drifting to the ceiling. "Reminds me of my younger days."

"Uh oh, Namek flashback," Natsu whispered to Naruto, who only looked back in confusion. Ichigo furrowed his own eyebrows, scowl still very evident on his face. What the fuck was Namek?

"Hey Goku," Luffy asked, jerking the other out of his memories. "How about another round?"

They all enjoyed another round of poker, the game intensifying as they had opted to start betting food. All of a sudden the competition was fierce.

"By the way," said Goku, not looking away from his hand of cards. "There's easily up to a thousand official champions, you know."

The table turned incredulous. Naruto's eyes widened. "What! You mean to say, that there are other poker games going on as we're playing right now?"

"Yep."

There was a moment of impressed silence as each man at the table struggled to comprehend the concept.

They continued to play poker for hours. The universe remained patient.

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_**A/N: Just a short little idea. If you liked it, go ahead and read A Soul Reaper and A Ninja Walk into a Bar, which is sort of a prequel to this one. Feel free to review.**_

_**Hope you guys enjoyed. :)**_


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